This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
Such clutches are known in particular in the form of so-called disconnect systems for coupling or decoupling parts of a drive train in motor vehicles in which all-wheel drive can be engaged or disengaged, so that in two-wheel drive mode, the connection between the primary axle or the drive unit on one side and the secondary axle on the other, can be at least partially disengaged. In motor vehicles with hybrid drive, during electric operation these clutches can also alternatively be used to separate the main transmission from the internal combustion engine, in order to avoid or minimise power losses and noise generation, whereby the energy consumption and hence the CO2 emission can be reduced. Also however a drive train decoupling can be provided for an electric drive on the secondary axle.
DE4002053A1 describes a coupling system of the type described above in which an axial shaft can be optionally decoupled from a differential gear by means of an axially moveable shift sleeve. At idle, losses caused by the dragging of the differential gear components can thus be reduced.
DE3911122C1 describes a form-fit shift clutch, wherein the shift clutch can be used for coupling a hollow shaft with a shaft journal lying coaxially therein, in which by axle movement of a shift sleeve, coupling balls can be pressed into form-fit engagement between carriers in the shaft journal and orifices in the hollow shaft, and by axial movement of a blocking sleeve, blocking balls can be pressed radially into an annular groove in axially form-fit engagement of the hollow shaft in relation to the shift sleeve. The shift clutch has a coil carrier formed coaxially to the shaft, with a holding winding and a shift winding, wherein the shift winding is powered to couple a shift ring to a rotating shaft. The holding winding, which generates a weaker magnetic field than the shift winding, is powered to hold the shift ring in its position.